■“When I got home and was alone, I became listless, and before I knew it, I had a sense of emptiness and my head was in my hands. No matter what I did, I just felt sad, and I began to stare blankly into space.” (※Excerpt from the book)
Gen Hoshino will release his essay collection “From the Train Window of Life 2” on September 30th. The cover has also been unveiled, and a publication commemorative event will be held.
Gen Hoshino’s essay series “From the Train Window of Life” began in the December 2014 issue of the magazine “Da Vinci”. The collected series was published in March 2017 as “From the Train Window of Life” and became a huge hit, with a total circulation of over 450,000 copies (including e-books).
This time, the second volume will be published for the first time in about seven and a half years. This book contains 27 pieces in total, including serialized manuscripts from 2017 to 2023 (irregularly serialized *some manuscripts are not included in the serialized version and have been revised), plus four newly written pieces, plus an afterword. The cover and front cover illustrations were created by Byun Yong-gun, who also did the Kadokawa Bunko version of “From the Train Window of Life.”
■The emptiness behind the smiles, daily life under the COVID-19 pandemic, encounters and partings, new life… Volume 2 is a neat and straightforward account of his thoughts.
The title of this book, “From the Train Window of Life,” was chosen because when the series first began, Hoshino was writing about the “outside of the window,” feeling as though he was somehow “inside the window” as he looked at his surroundings through the lenses of the strong glasses he usually wore. However, in this work, he gradually turns his attention to “himself,” and his writing style has changed to one that is more refined and neat.
“Being able to freely create the music I love, right in the middle of the entertainment industry, is something I can’t help but feel happy and excited about.”
(Excerpt from the book “POP VIRUS” *Same below)
In 2017, when the first volume was published, Hoshino Gen attracted a lot of attention with the big hit of “Love” from “Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu”. The reaction was so huge that those involved were stunned, and the environment around him began to change… Hoshino Gen was in the middle of it all.
“It was just a joyous thing.”
However, on the other hand,
“Since last year, 2017, I’ve been going crazy.”
“Even though I was able to smile and have fun at work, when I got home and was alone I became listless, and before I knew it I was holding my head in awe and feeling empty. No matter what I did I just felt sad, and I began to stare blankly into space.”
The emptiness he harbored behind his smile, his days under the COVID-19 pandemic, the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of “Comedy,” his evolving music-making, parting with loved ones, new encounters and the future, and his precious life. This is a collection of essays that frankly describes Hoshino Gen’s daily life, his creations, and the people around him over the course of about seven and a half years, as well as his thoughts and “inner self.”
■Publication commemorative event to be held!
To commemorate the release of “From the Train Window of Life 2,” a talk event with Gen Hoshino himself will be held on October 1st. For details, please visit the official website.
Comment from Gen Hoshino
I feel like I can write in essays the feelings that I can’t express in my everyday life. This book records the events that happened over the past seven years, the people I met, and the feelings I had at each moment. Personally, I like the four new pieces that I wrote specifically for the book, so I hope you will pick it up and read it.
Book Information
2024.09.30 ON SALE
“From the Window of Life 2”
event information
“From the Train Window of Life 2” Publication Commemoration Event
October 1st (Tuesday) Somewhere in Tokyo
18:30 Scheduled start time
*Only the winners will be notified of details such as location and participation time.
For details on “From the Window of Life 2,” click here
https://note.com/kadobun_note/n/nd2c4190b546b
Click here for details of the publication event
https://www.hmv.co.jp/news/article/240725145/
Gen Hoshino OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.hoshinogen.com/
“From the Window of Life 2”
